Locomotive truck



March 29, 1932. w, #415 1,851,382

Locomo'nvm TRUCK Filed Aug. 29, 1929 2 sheds-sheet 11 Restoring F0 m a YINVENIOR. Y EW GRRTERZE.

ms RTTORNEX' x r I Patented 1932 I t me FREDERICK WILLIAM CARTER, rawn; ENGLAND Z Application filed August as; ieseaserial K533239317, nafii; Great BritainlSeptmbi 4,1928; i

This invention relates to locomotives of i the type in which the frame is supported 'in part on one or more trucks whichlare capable of acertain amount of movement, relatively" to the frame: -These auXiliarytrucks are acted-upon by certainforces -which. tend to" return them; after displacement, to a central symmetrical positionirelatively to the frame,

" steering the; locomotive on curves." W The inventionjtogether with other objects 1 and it: is through the agency of these forces 7 lt that the locomotive'ca'n be guided around curves in the track; These forces also have considerable influence on the stabilityof run-I ningof the locomotive. J

the auxiliary truckiwhile in otherlcases, the

A ment of the auxiliary truck from the cen- 'tral position causing a portion ofthe weight j of the locomotive to be lifted and setting up a force tending to restore the auxiliarytruck I v showingthe relation of the trucktotheloco motivefr'ame; Y i

to its central, position, In" cases in which .there aresimple springs or theirequivalentf *between the frame and the au'xiliarytruchf the restoring force is'substantially propontional to the displacement of the auxiliary truck from the, central position, so that the? curve between the restoringand "displace.-

' 33 ment is a straight line if friction is neglected. I InpraCticeQ the 'centring' devices are more i commonly arranged so that considerable force is necessary to make an initial displacev,inent," although further displacement does not result in a'greatincrease of thisforce. From the point joffview of stability of running, a definite proportionalrel'ationl between the restoring force and displacement is desirable; "This relation may not, however,

45 be desirable fromithe steering point ofvview,

it may be, for example, that. extreme displacement would' require greaterforces than the springs would bear, or' than would be desirable, because (of the flange pressures set The: general object ofthe invention to improvethe stability of running of locomotives ofthe type to which the invention re-- lates. A more specific object of the invention is to provide for locomotives-1 an improved In, somecases, such'locomotivesare pro 15 vlded with, centring forces supplied by springs acting betweenthemain frame and" the main framefiof the "locomotive rests C amar auriliary'truck embodying a resili ientjsystem'for its attachment to the frame rofg'the locomotive which ensures that the forces which: tend tocentre the truck should 1 vary according'to its displacement from the 3 and advantageskthereofmay be morecread I ily understood from reference to the followi V ing description'of, the accompanying drawing a and willbe pointed out more fully in the appended claims. 1 p 51 *In the drawings, Fig. 1- is a graphical 'representati'on of certain factors which are present in the design of locomotive'truck's as here'- tofore knownandaccording to this invention F lg. 2 1s aplan view somewhat diagram- 7 matic 0f an embodiment of jithe invention; andFig. s-is anend view partially in section.

- Referringjto' l?igs .-2and3, A represents a 75:

. guide attached transversely; to" the frame of.

theauxiliar'y truck; Brepresents a sliding piece which carries a centreplate on which represents aj pair of leaf springsfconnected at their ends by the rods D, whose length can be adjusted by the nuts E, so as to impose any required Einitial tension on' the "leaf springs. I

The bucklesF ofthe springs rest onthe trans-' v 1 Verse guide A, and carry rods G which pass freelythrough the ends ofthe guide A to wards'the slidingpiece B. As the centring device is ordinarily constructed,:'the rods G; are adjusted ofsuchlengths as just to rest on? the sliding piece B when the buckles are in contact withthe guide A. With suchconstruction as" so far described,1'the sliding piece Bcould not be movedin either ,direc-- tion'until the force imposed upon it exceeds the initial'stress of the. springs C, and "the relation betweenidisplacement and centring' force would be as shownin full line in Fig, 1. 7 Referring particularly to Fig; 3, J represents transverse girders or transomsofthe auxiliary truck which are attached to the'side, 1, 9

frames K of the truck. L represents the side frames of the main locomotive structure, and M is a transverse girder connecting these side frames. Projecting from the underside of the girder M is a member P arranged to pivotally engage the sliding piece B thereby forming a connection between said locomotive frame and saidauxiliary truck through the centering device.

According to the invention, I introduce between the rods G and the sliding piece B, a second or subsidiary pair of springs H, which determine the relation between centring force and displacement in the neighbourhood of the centre position. This centring force is pro portional to the displacement, as shown in broken linesincFig. 1.. The proportionality continues until, either the whole load is taken from one of the subsidiary springs H,or the stness in the other springH becomes equal to the initial stress of the springs C, which ever occursfirst. Thereafter the" stress increases at a smaller rate. The maximum stress in the springs H is limited tothat in springs C.

By such: an arrangement of compound springs,-that portion. of the displacement which is near the central position results in a restoring force exerted by the subsidiary springs, which is proportional to the dis placement, and further displacement from the central position then-introduces the restoring force due to the main springs. By. suitably proportioning the two sets of springs, stability of running of. the, locomotive may be attained.

Instead of springs, a pendulous device,

whereby the main frame is displaced against gravity, in a manner that is well known in this connection, may be used. a

What I. claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is when a predetermined relativemovementhas takenplace.

2. In a locomotive, a frame. a truck laterally movable with respect to said frame, resilient means for controlling the initial movement of said truck with respect to said frame, and further resilient means for controlling the relative movement of said truck and frame only when a predetermined initial relative movement has taken place.

3. In a locomotive, a frame, a truck movable with respect to said frame, resilient means for maintaining the truck in a normal position with respect to saidframe and for producing a substantially linear relation between the displacement of said truck from its normal position and the force tending, to restore said truck to its normal position, and means for altering the proportionality between said displacement and said restoring force when said truck has been displaced from its normal position by a predetermined amount.

4. In a locomotive, a frame, a truck laterally movable with respect to said frame, resilient means for maintaining said truck in a normal position with respect to said frame and for producing a substantially linear relation between the displacement of said truck from its normal position and the restoring force tending to restore said truck to its normalposition, and further resilient means brought into effective operation when said truck has been displaced from said normal position by a predetermined amount for alterarranged so as to reduce the rate at which the restoring force increases with respect to the displacementv when said truck has been displaced from its normal position by apredetermined. amount. I

6. In a locomotive, a frame and a truck movable with respect to said frame, said truck comprising a guide, a sliding piece movable in said guide upon whichsaid frame is adapt ed to rest, oppositely arranged springs for controlling movement up to a predetermined amplitude of said sliding piece in said guide,

and, further oppositely disposed springs of less stiffness than said first mentioned springs placed undera predetermined stress and arranged to control movement of said slide greater than said predetermined amplitude.

7,. In a locomotive, a frame and a truck movable with respect to said frame, said trucl: comprising a rectangular guide, a sliding piece movable in said guide upon which said frame is adapted to rest, oppositely arranged co l springs abutting on either side of said slide and between said slide and said guide, a leaf spring disposed at each end of said guide and having buckles carrying rods which extend through said guide and rest upon the end of one of said coil springs remote from said slide, said leaf springs being of less stiii' ness than said coil springs, and means for producing an initial predetermined comprcf-zsion of said leaf springs.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set in: hand this 17th day of August, 1929.

i F. IV. CARTER. 

